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Reviewer: James
A. Altena The third set of the Symphoniae Sacrae of Heinrich Schütz, dating from 1650, differs decidedly from its two predecessors of 1629 and 1647 in its demands for performers. Whereas the first two sets are written for solo voices—either alone or concerted into duos, trios, quartets, etc.—the third set features the more complex configuration of soloists set in contrast to a ripieno choir, with a correspondingly larger instrumental ensemble thrown into the mix as well. The date of the third set discloses the reason for this seeming outburst of compositional exuberance on Schütz’s part: the end of the Thirty Years’ War and its horrific devastation, in which (according to some estimates) as much as 30 percent of Germany’s population perished from military slaughter, pillaging, disease, and famine. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 granted not only deliverance from this appalling carnage, but also from the extreme financial exigencies that the conflict had imposed on every German ruler, not excepting even the powerful Elector of Saxony in Dresden; this had entailed a drastic reduction of that court’s once opulent musical establishment, which required Schütz for many years to make a virtue of necessity and craft exquisite miniature musical jewels for modest performing contingents. The return of peace brought with it the beginnings of renewed prosperity and a corresponding renewed availability of resources—cause and occasion for extravagant celebration, of which the composer took due advantage, with a reversion to the opulent compositional techniques from his youthful sojourn with Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice that characterized his early Psalmen Davids set from 1619. These circumstances are also reflected in the texts that Schütz chose to set. Whereas the first two sets drew exclusively upon the Scriptures—primarily the Psalms and (remarkably for a Protestant composer) the deuterocanonical book of Ecclesiasticus—the third set casts a wider net, utilizing some non-Scriptural devotional poems and taking the majority of its texts from the Gospels. Many of the selected texts—Psalms 13, 23, 121, 127, and 133; the warning of the angel to Joseph to flee the bloody wrath of Herod (from Matthew 2); St. Paul’s exhortation to the Christians in Corinth to purge out the old leaven; the admonitions of Jesus to be merciful like God the Father (from Luke 6) and to be watchful rather than “overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life” (from Luke 21)—are pointed references to the preceding three decades of travail and the spiritual lessons to be drawn from that. Most
likely because of its far more complex performance requirements, this third
collection has been favored with fewer recordings than either of its two
predecessors, whether in complete versions or individually excerpted
numbers. Only two other integral recorded sets have preceded this one. The
first, from 1988, with the Musica Fiata and Kammerchor Stuttgart under
Frieder Bernius on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, was a good, solid effort;
however, it was easily superseded by the magnificent version on Harmonia
Mundi with the Cantus Cölln and Concerto Palatino under Konrad Junghänel.
(J. F. Weber approvingly reviewed both versions, in 13:2 and 29:5
respectively.) This new set is a worthy rival to the latter; it is perhaps a
degree less energetic and colorful, taking a more reflective rather than
jubilant view, but it is executed according to the exemplary standards that
one has come to expect from Hans-Christoph Rademann and his performing
forces in their ongoing edition of Schütz’s complete works. As always, Carus
provides first-rate recorded sound plus complete German texts in English
translation, detailed booklet notes, and artist bios. While not a
replacement for the exquisite Junghänel version, this set is wonderful in
its own right, and absolutely essential for fellow Schütz devotees who are
acquiring this entire edition; highly recommended on all counts. | |
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